The Heike
by Roxotaku
Summary: Written for the "kaidan" challenge at Inu kaidan on LJ. A kaidan is a Japanese supernatural story. I used a real kaidan, and then the InuTachi find themselves in their own kaidan when Kagome is woken up by a crying child. She, Miroku and InuYasha go see.


The Heike

Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and I make no $ from this story.

The wind came up, blowing salt spray in the faces of the InuTachi. They walked along a beach at Honshu, along the Straits of Shimonoseki. Only the moon and stars led their way, and Kagome shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist as her hair whipped into her face. She thought about how different it was from her time. The straits tended to silt up, so in her Modern era they had taken it as far as building an airport. Once, she had come here with her family for vacation and saw the fireworks. But this place was also infamous for something far more sinister, and that is what preyed upon her mind now…

"What's the matter, are you cold?" InuYasha said. "I could give you my suikan."

Smiling at him with a look of thanks, Kagome shook her head at his gallantry. On her left, Miroku walked up to her side, Shippou on his shoulder. The little kitsunes teeth were chattering.

"You know, the Straits of Shimonoseki are haunted," whispered Shippou. "Since the Heike were defeated by the Genji, their ghosts have been here ever since."

"Ah, you are speaking of the battle of Dan-no-ura," Miroku said.

"Hmph," InuYasha said, crossing his arms and a look of derision crossing his face. "Don't tell me you are afraid of ghosts!"

"So what if I am," Shippou replied, and then leaped off Miroku towards Kagome.

The miko barely had time to catch the kitsune, and she held her in her arms, face to face. His eyes opened wide and pleading as she pulled him close.

"InuYasha is being mean to me again," Shippou said. "Aren't you afraid of ghosts sometimes, Kagome?"

There was no time to reply, InuYasha commanded a halt to break for the night. They went about setting up camp, and the hanyou went fishing for their dinner. When he returned with five fish and three crabs, a fire was rapidly burning and everyone was huddled around it. He threw the catch down next to Kagome, and sat down.

"You brought back Heike crabs!" Shippou said in horror. "Don't you know they contain the spirits of the dead warriors!"

"Feh, shut it Shippou," InuYasha said. "I ain't afraid of no ghosts – you don't want any crab that'll just be more for me!"

Shippou cowered, grumbling, as Miroku, Sango and Kagome set about cooking their dinner. He sulked about for a while and played with Kirara, but would not look at the hanyou. Silently he took the fish offered him – but did not dare touch the crabs. InuYasha ate them with gusto, ripping them open with claws and fangs while Shippou watched him, aghast.

After dinner clean up, Miroku sat by the fire, elbows on knees and stroked his chin thoughtfully. No one was ready to go to sleep yet, and he too had been affected by the history of the area. The others could see he was getting ready to speak, and waited expectantly.

"Have you all heard the kaidan, The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi?" Miroku said.

The replies were mixed. Some of them, like Kagome knew of the tale and others didn't. InuYasha yawned, signaling he could care less. Shippou did not look happy at all, and jumped into Kagomes lap, clutching to her tightly and annoying InuYasha yet again. Kagome ignored the hanyou next to her and stroked Shippous head.

"Are you going to tell us the story?" Sango said, knowing he would but needed to be prodded to start.

"Yes," Miroku said and launched into the tale.

Kagome and Sango sat listening intently as Miroku told of the blind biwa-hoshi named Hoichi who made a name for himself reciting the story of the battle between the Heike and the Genji. Until one day, while staying a night in the local temple, he was visited by a samurai who commanded him to come and perform for his Lord who was visiting the area.. So he did as commanded, and in the court of the great Lord, he made them all weep – especially when reciting the part about the death of the young Heike Lord, a child of six named Antoku who died in the arms of Nii-no-ama when she leaped overboard to her death. He was commanded to return with the Samuari the next night and here on end until the Lord left, and to tell no one of his visits. But the Buddhist monks at the temple suspected something was going on, and followed him one night. They found him in the graveyard, reciting to the grave of the Emperor Antoku! They dragged him away, explaining what had been going on. The next night they made him stay, writing sutras all over his body to protect him from the supernatural. They would not be able to see Hoichi when they came for him. When the samurai returned he could see nothing of Hoichi – except his ears, the only place not covered by the sutras. So he decided something bad must have befallen Hoichi, and ripped off the ears of the poor man to show to his Lord. The monks found Hoichi weeping and bleeding the next morning, and tended to him the best they could. He went on to be a famous biwa-hoshi, known forever as Mimi-nashi-Hoichi, "Hoichi the Earless."

A silence fell like a heavy weight upon the group when Miroku had finished the tale. InuYasha looked like he had fallen asleep, his arms crossed over Tessaiga – which was confirmed when they all heard a soft snore that broke their solemn and ominous moods. They all looked over at the hanyou with rueful expressions as his chin fell to his collarbone.

"Is it over?" Shippou whimpered from where he had been hiding behind Kagome's hair.

"Yes Shippou, you can come out now," Kagome said gently.

Sango and Kagome thanked Miroku, and they all settled down to sleep. Rolling out her sleeping bag, Kagome slipped in. Quickly Shippou snuggled down at her side.

"Do you think the Heike are still haunting the straits?" The kitsune whispered.

"Hush Shippo," Kagome said soothingly. "Even if they are, what have you to fear with all of us here with you?"

As she petted his head, Shippou let Kagome mollify him. She watched the child drift off to sleep, and then closed her own heavy lidded eyes. But she did not sleep peacefully. Images of an ancient sea battle played out in her mind, and she began to toss and turn. Before her eyes, a woman in tears with a child in her arms leaped off a boat for certain death….

"AH!" Kagome woke with a start, heart pounding.

Around her Kagome was met with the sound the dying fire, the wind and the waves.

She sat up slowly so as not to wake up Shippou, and sighed. As wisps of the dream wafted out of her mind like shadows and shrouds of despair, Kagome thought she heard a strange sound. Was that…a child crying? Poor thing, was it lost and scared by the local legends? Pulling her legs out of her sleeping bag, Kagome listened harder for the direction of the sound. Her heart told her to investigate.

Standing up, the soft crying and whimpering could be made out, and Kagome headed towards it. Slowly she made her way out of the camp. But her actions had not gone unnoticed. A hand landed on her shoulder and startled her, and she jumped backwards against a hard body.

"Where you sneaking off too?" InuYasha hissed in her ear.

"Did you hear it, InuYasha?" Kagome replied.

"Hear what?" InuYasha said. "You going loopy on me from listening to Mirokus stupid story?"

There was no way InuYasha could not have heard it! Kagome was astounded, and her brow furrowed in confusion. InuYasha was looking at her with a mix of concern and doubt. His golden eyes reflected the stars back at her while she thought of what to do.

"Maybe only I can hear it…because I am a miko." Kagome said slowly.

"Then that means it's not alive, Kagome," InuYasha said. "Leave it be and come back to camp."

The child's voice came again, closer and even more mournful then before. Kagome turned her head towards it, and knew that no matter what she could never let another being suffer so. She pushed InuYasha's hand off her shoulder with determination.

"It's suffering, and if I can help it I will," Kagome said, and stormed off, her hands fisted at her sides.

"You are damn well not going anywhere without me!" InuYasha said.

"Or me…"

Spinning around in unison, Kagome and InuYasha found Miroku standing behind them, staff in hand. He smiled at them grimly as they glanced at each other rather sheepishly. So much for stealth…

"Did you hear the crying child too?" Kagome asked.

"I heard your voices first," Miroku said. "Then I heard something else. If it is what I think it is, you'll need me."

The sound was getting nearer, and Kagome longed to be off. She turned away from the men, and started to walk away.

"If you are coming, then let's go already before we wake Sango and Shippou," Kagome said.

"Keh, last thing we need is that kitsune whining," InuYasha said. "Lead on…"

They walked into the night, the cold damp air blowing into their hair and clothes and setting them fluttering. Down the stretch of beach could be seen a small, pale figure, like a flickering beam of lost moonlight. InuYasha and Miroku came up to walk protectively on either side of Kagome as they drew near. A small boy with a tear stained face in archaic clothes approached them, and Kagome leapt forward and knelt in front of him. The child gave off no scent, which made InuYasha snarl, his hackles rising.

"Why are you crying?" Kagome said softly.

"It's gone," the small boy whimpered. "The sword that was in my family for generations is lost."

"Don't worry, we will help you find it," Kagome replied.

"We will?" InuYasha said doubtfully.

"I sense nothing sinister here, InuYasha," Miroku said. "We must help this poor soul. Where did you lose the sword?"

The child pointed out, into the crashing waves. As Kagome and Miroku gazed out at the water, InuYasha snorted and folded his arms.

"You've got to be kidding," InuYasha said. "How do you expect us to find it out there?"

"We can't give up so easily, InuYasha," Kagome said. "There has to be a way."

"I saw some boats not far from here," Miroku replied. "Let us go borrow one."

The monk led the way, followed closely by InuYasha, Kagome and the child. Soon they came to a group of small fishing boats that were stored further up the beach. Choosing the nearest one, Miroku and InuYasha picked it up and carried it out to the water. They waded in with it, until it floated.

"You coming?" InuYasha said to Kagome.

A look passed between Kagome and InuYasha, and shaking his head he walked back to shore. Scooping Kagome up, he held her high on his shoulders and walked back to the boat.

"Where did that child thing go?" InuYasha said.

Kagome pointed. Sure enough, the child was already on the boat with Miroku. The monk reached down and gave Kagome a hand aboard. InuYasha just leapt out of the water, landing in the boat as light as a cat, but spraying them all with water.

"So which way do we go now?" Miroku said.

Silently the small boy moved to the prow of the boat and pointed. The young men each took an oar, and began to paddle out into the churning waves. Kagome sat with her arms around her middle, huddling down against the chill as goose bumps rose on her exposed legs. Suddenly she was hit from behind by a load of fabric. Grabbing it she saw it was InuYashas suikan. She smiled at him gratefully and put it on, and caught a glint of his fangs by the moonlight as he smirked back at her.

It seemed like they rowed for an endless time. But finally the child raised his hand for them to stop. Kagome relayed the halt to InuYasha and Miroku who stowed the oars as Kagome moved to the prow where the child waited.

"Is it down here?" Kagome said.

"I don't know," the child whispered. "But this is the last place I remember…"

"InuYasha, how long can you hold your breath?" Miroku said.

"Longer than you full humans," InuYasha replied. "I knew I would be the one looking for this damned thing…"

The hanyou gave Kagome Tessaiga, and stripped down to his fundoshi. Kagome made a small, neat pile of his clothes on the floorboards. He stood framed by the nights pale, cold light, his hair shimmering silver as it blew in the breeze. Then he jumped overboard, diving in smoothly.

They waited…and waited. Kagome clutched tightly to the edge of boat, which was slowly rolling on the water. She stared intently at the spot where InuYasha had disappeared. Just how long could a hanyou last anyway? When she thought she could not stand it another moment, he broke the surface with an explosive breath of air. He was empty handed. But to his credit, InuYasha treaded water a moment, took a deep breath and went under again…

This was repeated over and over again, and a glimmer of dawn began to touch the horizon with pale pinks and oranges. Next to her, the figure of the child began to fade, his expression more and more forlorn. InuYasha swam up to the edge of the boat and grasped it.

"This is damned hopeless," InuYasha grumbled.

"You're not giving up yet, are you InuYasha?" Kagome replied.

Their eyes met a moment, hers pleading and brown and his a molten gold. Heaving a sigh of frustration, he pushed off the side of the boat and took another dive.

"Remember Kagome, what ever the outcome we did all we can," Miroku said, and Kagome nodded.

When the hanyou resurfaced again, Kagome was ready to be disappointed and admit defeat. She was filled with a deep sadness, and she could feel the despair radiating from the child. Soon she knew he would be gone, maybe to only reappear at another time on the beach on his hopeless quest.

InuYasha swam over to the boat – and threw a sword in a badly decomposing sheath overboard. It clattered on the bottom. Kagome jumped aside, her tired body suddenly energized and her eyes wide in wonder. The hanyou hauled himself aboard, his hair and body shedding water on all the boats occupants. But Kagome was so happy, she threw herself into the sodden hanyous arms, and he staggered.

"So, is this your missing sword?" Miroku asked the child.

"Yes, but I need you to bring it somewhere for me," the child said, his pale face calm and relaxed for the first time. "Come, row back to shore and I will show you."

They waited for InuYasha to dress, and rowed ashore. Before they reached it, InuYasha and Miroku jumped overboard and pulled the boat the rest of the way. Kagome grabbed the sword, and she and the child climbed off. The two young men put the boat where they found it. Then they followed the flickering figure of the child towards a small Buddhist temple.

"I surmise this is the same temple where they built the graveyard to appease the ghosts of the Heike," Miroku said.

The child said nothing, just led them past the honden to the back of the temple. Sure enough they found a graveyard. Miroku walked in first, followed by Kagome and InuYasha. But the child had disappeared….

Still, Miroku knew what he was looking for. Stopping in front of a grave, he gestured for Kagome to hand him the sword. She gave it to him, and he placed it down reverently. Then he folded his hands and bowed his head in prayer.

Kagome read the name on the grave: Emperor Antoku.

'Rest in peace, young Antoku,' Kagome thought, and smiled.


End file.
